‘Don’t ask for new EU measures: take action’

EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan has called on member states at risk of exceeding their 2014/15 milk production quotas to “take corrective action”, rather than ask for new EU measures.

The hard line in Brussels on quotas came as Irish over-production up to November 30 fell slightly, at 6.51% over quota, compared to 7.15% over a month earlier, but only 6.93% over at the end of September, and 6.44% over at the end of August.

At a meeting of the Council of EU Agriculture Ministers on Monday, Ireland’s Simon Coveney was among those who called on the commission to mitigate the impact of superlevy fines.